In a memorandum opinion, the court has reaffirmed the venerable rule that an appellant must challenge all grounds asserted in a motion for summary judgment if the trial court has not specified on which grounds the motion was granted.  In this instance, the bank moved for summary judgment, attacking the elements of the plaintiffs’ causes of action and seeking to prove its affirmative defenses.  The plaintiffs disputed the estoppel, ratification, and waiver defenses, but failed to address the separate defense of quasi-estoppel.  On appeal, they likewise failed to challenge the quasi-estoppel defense.  As a result of that failure, the court of appeals automatically sustained the trial court’s grant of summary judgment, without any need to reach the merits of the quasi-estoppel defense.

Walker v. Town North Bank, N.A., No. 05-10-01174-CV

In this memorandum opinion, the court reaffirmed some basic litigation procedures. The plaintiff was fired by his law firm employer and sued alleging 37 separate claims. The trial court granted summary judgment, and Cruz appealed the first time. The court of appeals affirmed on every claim but two and remanded. The trial court severed those claims and Cruz appealed a second time. On appeal, the court first determined that on remand, the trial court only had jurisdiction to consider issues regarding the two claims included in the scope of the remand as stated in the court of appeals’ mandate. Thus, Cruz’s issues related to claims outside the trial court’s jurisdiction were rejected. Because of the court’s limited jurisdiction, issues that Cruz failed to preserve prior to the first appeal were not reopened by the mandate and the trial court did not err by limiting discovery to the remaining matters over which it had jurisdiction. Finally, the trial court did not err by severing Cruz’s remaining claims and requiring him to replead under Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 41 and 68.

Cruz v. Schell, Beene & Vaughn, L.L.P., et al., 05-01-00565-CV